Serenity Lives On Life after Miranda
by Shaddess
Summary: This story continues the Firefly T.V. series, beginning several months after the events of Miranda.  With the absence of Wash and Book, River has become the chief pilot and a new passenger has come to live on Serenity, by unorthodox means.
1. Chapter 1

Post Serenity; life after Miranda:

Episode 1, Chapter 1

"Wha'do we got, little one?" Mal asked River, who often took the helm.

"It's a distress beacon from a Wraith, Light Combat assault class ship, designation..."

"Neve rmind all that, where is it comin from and are there any other ships in the vicinity?" Mal asked, interrupting river per his usual habit.

"Not that I can see Captain. The Ship is 4 degrees off the starboard side, exactly 27.78061 A.U.'s ahead, just outside that asteroid belt there to our side." River finished while pointing to an almost un-seeable point in space.

"Could someone be hiding in that belt?" Mal asked with his usual air of understanding.

"Well, I suppose so, however it would be very difficult. The belt is small and tightly compacted. It would take a very skilled pilot..." River was cut off again.

"One thing I never do is underestimate the piloting skill of the alliance, little one." Mal said smiling, giving reference to River having been born a member of the inner planet's alliance and proving to be a master pilot herself though she was only 18.

River smiled, knowing the Captain was being both serious and playful with her.

"River, can you tell me what happened to the ship?" Mal asked in an almost secretive tone.

River closed her eyes briefly and her face contorted like a child trying to see a math problem in their head. She opened her eyes and felt short bursts of finite pain in her head, which always seemed to focus on the areas of her skull where needles and incisions had once been made. Since the event on planet Miranda, River's psychic abilities had diminished to a large extent. She was, however, much closer to being herself as a result. But by trying hard, she could sometimes force images of events to come to her, though it was always easier to access the recent now in her mind rather than the past or future, which were often so painful to see that she would pass out and wake up with little to no memory of what she saw. The now was typically easy enough that she could do it with only minor pain, so long as she didn't try for too much detail.

"Blood!" River said in a low scream, before she come back to full consciousness.

"What?" Mal asked, plainly confused and a little worried.

"There is blood there." She pointed out towards the ship. "There was a fight, people are dead, cold. The alliance has been here. They attacked the ship, they killed the crew and made them cold. Someone still breaths, though they are asleep and very, very cold. Like when we first met." River finished her sentence, looking up to Mal with pleading eyes and borderline confusion as to what she herself was trying to say.

"Any alliance ships still around, River?"

"I can't feel any presence captain. All I feel is machine and the cold one." River expressed while rubbing her head near an old needle point.

"Okay, let's go check it out. If nothin else, maybe there will be some parts and cargo we can lift. But take it nice en slow. I don't want any surprises that we can't get away from."

Serenity pulsed into faster movement and her course changed by 4 to starboard, lining up perfectly with the Wraith. River took it slow, as she was directed, leaving the time to arrival several hours ahead. True to form, Captain Malcolm Reynolds called the crew into the mess hall for a briefing on what was found and what they were going to do about it. After Serenity had been badly damaged on Mr. universes moon, Mal had made a habit of getting Kaylee to join in on salvage operations to check for anything that could be used to make in flight repairs on his ship. Still coping with the death of Wash, Zoe often remained on the ship unless there was eminent danger. This wasn't so much at Zoe's request, but Mal's insistence. Without Wash, Zoe had become very distant with the crew and even Mal himself, though over the previous few weeks, she seemed to have toned down a great deal.

Upon informing the crew of the plan, everyone dismissed themselves to their respective areas for preparation. Kaylee went directly for the engine room to clean out her carry pack and get the key card which would start up the small hover transport that River had helped her build -to carry heavier items off from salvaged ships. Simon strolled into the Med unit to prep the operating table in case of injury and to make sure his emergency kit was ready, which it always was. Mal had only expressed the notion that River felt there was a lot of bodies on the ship, but didn't want to spook anyone with the notion of a cold but breathing man, so he didn't mention anything about wanting Simon to go aboard with his scout team.

Jayne simply walked back to his quarters. He typically kept his gear there, keeping none of his personal weapons in the ships weapons locker. Jayne seemed to spend more time in his quarters these days. He would never admit it to anyone, least of all himself, but the death of Shepherd Book had played very hard on him. Working out together and having even conversed on a regular basis with the reverend had created a bond for Jayne that he had rarely felt for anyone in his life. However, since Jayne hadn't really been much to anyone else on board the ship, only Mal and River noticed. Mal because he did like Jayne, in his way and River because of her psychic ability. She would sometimes feel Jayne staring at her, blaming her inside himself for the death of his friend.

Inara simply went to her shuttle, to pray. After choosing to stay on board Serenity, she had resolved herself to stay true to her position. Mals response to her when he offered to take her back to the planet he had rescued her from had made it clear that Mal felt deeply for her. The problem was, her training also allowed her the insight to notice that he was also still confused and hurt by the loss of Nandi. The tension between Mal and Inara remained as a side effect of this.

Malcolm went back onto the bridge with River -who he occasional called albatross as well as little one. Having no children of his own and seeing a sense of understanding in River towards him, Mal had begun to grow very fond of her company; even when her condition acted up. For River's part, she had come to identify with Mal as someone who was equally as broken inside. Though the circumstances were vastly different, both Mal and River had been pushed, hurt, and hunted by the Alliance. Both had the willpower to see the inherent villainy the government surrounded itself with. And two other aspects separately, but equally connected the two. Mal had become Rivers fatherly figure in the absence of her natural parents, being a man willing to be fatally protective if his people.; while River had become Mals silent confessor. Though River never spoke of Mals younger life, they were both aware she had gleaned most of it. In reality, River knew about Malcolm Reynolds then anyone still living, including Zoe.

The Wraith neared into view, looming just outside the asteroid belt. A small amount of Oxygen fumed out from several spots where the hull of the ship had been breached. River quickly calculated the exact distance and speed of the Wraith as it slowly rotated on a slow but eminent collision with the stone belt. River already understood that Mal wanted her to go with him on the Wraith. Her senses would be necessary if they were to find the breathing body. Zoe was asked to take the helm while Mal, River and Jayne waited for the final hook up to the Wraith. Once connected, the three would be the first team over to the wreckage where they would clear the area of some of the bodies (mostly for Kaylee's benefit) as well as doing an initial assessment of what happened to the ship. Once cleared, Kaylee would come aboard and start picking through for parts while Mal, Jayne, and now River would pillage what they could in regard to valuable cargo, foodstuffs, and Jayne's favorite pastime, weapons and ammunition. Jayne occasionally got lucky and found clips for Vira, which always put him in a better mood.

As expected, the Wraiths crew were dead. Some appeared to have died as a result of the initial attack, where the bulkhead's of the ship had some rupture. Life support still functioned, but was running overtime to keep up with the Oxygen loss. There was also ample proof that the vessel had been boarded, searched, then abandoned after every surviving crew member was shot down. Mal reasoned that the alliance left the ship either as bait or as a lesson. All the same, he was willing to trust in Rivers psychic abilities and Zoe's keen observations on the bridge to warn of impending danger. The team opted for a fast search, so the bodies of the slain crew were hidden in emptied storage containers, out of sight and Kaylee then boarded to begin her search for parts. The Wraith was an older model, so Kaylee had some faith that at least some of the parts used on the vessel would match some of Serenities criteria.

Part of the Cargo bay had been sealed off with a danger light flashing over the hold entry. The flash indicated a full breech of the hull, meaning no one would attempt to enter it while the ship was still in space. With Jayne safely looking for the ships armory, Mal and River stood alone, vexed by the cargo hold doors. River felt the presence of life inside, yet the silent alarm flashed red for a reason. Mal looked around, confused for a moment. River took the opportunity to override the door. Before Mal could stop her, the cargo doors opened. Mal took a step back, expecting to be sucked out into the vacuum of space, but the room on the other end was fully pressurized and perfectly stable. Someone had rigged the alarm to keep the alliance out of the cargo bay.

Mal gave River a frightful, disapproving glance before he walked into the cargo bay. River smiled, knowingly, then walked in behind him. The area was a mess, with containers of all sized just tossed about. Most were empty, so they had dispersed pretty violently during the initial attack. River stepped into the very center of the room and started looking around. She felt the presence close, but couldn't quite feel exactly where. Suddenly it occurred to her that the crew was trying to hide the person, therefore it would have to be out of sight. It would have to be beneath her.

After River and Mal had found the hidden latch to the sub bay inside the cargo hold, they managed to lift up a large cargo container -with the assistance of the cargo bay pulley. The container was a little colder to the touch then the other containers had been. Mal called for Kaylee and Jayne, Kaylee having just made it back onto the ship after her first trip with parts. True to tinkerers form, she had filled up the hovering storage device with a few things that could be used on Serenity and a bit more than a few things that couldn't, but still looked good enough to work and fun enough for her to play with. Upon arrival to the cargo bay, Jayne instinctively walked up to Mal's opposite side over the container. Kaylee pushed her Hover device up to the crate and waited for the two men to load the crate up. Just as Kaylee finished her weight adjustments for the load, Zoe popped in over the com, "Captain, I'm getting some kind of signal, looks like it's comin from that asteroid belt."

"What kind of signal, Zoe" Mal asked with concern, looking over at River.

"It's a beacon. I didn't feel it before, it must have just come on. Someone must of triggered it by motion!" River said in a grave, but calm voice.

"Captain, looks alliance to me! You better get your butts outta there fast!" Zoe said, not hearing anything River said.

Once everyone was back on board, River ran up to the bridge. Zoe was still at the main helm, so River simply took the co-pilots position and piloted the ship as fast as Serenity could go, away from the Wraith. In the moment of stress, River gleaned a small succession of visions, the Wraith being boarded by alliance troops, the corpses being found in the cargo crates and the vision of a very angry fleet captain giving the order to destroy the Wraith. She knew it would happen very soon, the alliance star ship was already heading towards the site.

Serenity osculated slightly as River pushed the engine. She hadn't plotted any direct course other then away from the direction the Alliance ship was approaching. Mal came up to the bridge to see what was going on. "Anyone following us?"

"No Cap'n, sensors r'not picking up any ships within range." Zoe said plainly

" River? Anything?" Mal insisted, wanting to be absolutely sure.

"No Captain. They want to search the ship again first. Then they will blow it up." River responded, slight despondence in her voice.

Malcolm walked back into the cargo bay after his exchange with River and Zoe. Feeling a little at peace with the knowledge that they got a clean get away; clearly excited for also having struck another small blow to the alliances will always put Mal in a good mood. Jayne, however, had managed to find a way to get under Mal's skin. Mal walked into the cargo bay with Jayne trying to figure how to open the heavy cargo crate. Inara was standing on the top rail, confused as to what had actually been going on.

"Jayne, step away from that crate!"

"What? But Mal." Jayne pleaded.

Mal walked to the control consol near the ladder, directly behind Jayne. Pressing the intercom, Mal summoned Simon to the cargo hold, "... and Doc, bring your med kit." Mal finished as an afterthought. Jayne, Inara and Kaylee were all looking at Mal suspiciously. Simon made it to the cargo bay only a few moments after Mal called for him. He immediately recognized the cargo crate; a type he had studied while working on his escape plan for River a year prior.

Simon started the re-animation cycle, which was expected to last about 2 hours. Jayne seemed annoyed that they couldn't just open the crate like Mal had done with River so many months ago. He didn't understand that River was a special case and that no one actually knew she would be able to re-animate herself as she had. After a few moments, general boredom drove Jayne and Mal back to their own routine's, with Mal giving Simon an order to let him know when the process was nearly complete. Simon and Zoe stayed near the container, Simon out of medical concern, Zoe out of security concern. Kaylee stayed for a while out of curiosity, but her need to get back to the engine room finally did her in. She kissed Simon tenderly, then went back to her station.

When the Cargo bay went silent, Simon began to converse with Zoe; not something they usually did. "So, Zoe, how have you been holding up?" he asked meagerly.

"I've been better." Zoe stated plainly, never looking at Simon

Simon simply couldn't think of anything further to say, so he let the conversation end. To his surprise, began to talk to him again after a fifteen minute pause.

"Listen Doc, d'you have anything for heartburn?"

"Heartburn?" Simon looked at Zoe, somewhat perplexed, "Um, sure. Take this, it's called Haufidhil. Great for heartburn, indigestion and, other things." Simon finished with a slight grin on his face.

"Other things... Doctor?" Zoe questioned, as if re-stating Simons comment.

"Oh, it's also been used as an abortive. That was its original design actually, but it seems to work really well on other problems for women who aren't pregnant." Simon said, completely unaware of Zoe's growing concern.

"No thanks Doctor, I think I'll pass."

"Oh, it's really quite alright. It won't harm you at all, unless your preg..." Simon paused, realizing what had just happened.

Zoe looked at Simon angrily. Without speaking, she made it very clear that Simon wasn't to say anything.

Just over an hour and a half went by and the crew, straggled their way back into the Cargo Hold. Only Jayne remained absent, having already forgotten about the container. Simon took the crew's return to the cargo bay as an indication to open it. Though the cycle still had a few minutes left, it was unlikely to cause any great or lasting harm to the person or thing inside. River seemed the most curious. Whether because she herself had once been frozen or because she had felt the presence of the container and the person inside it, was a mystery to Mal and Simon both. Simon began the final re-animation cycle; the container cracked open as a layer of ice broke inside the crate.

After Mal, Simon, and Zoe carried the body into the infirmary, Simon began his usual run of quick diagnostics. The male figure on the table was alive, apparently very healthy in spite of being locked onboard an attack ship that had been all but destroyed and left in space. During the diagnostic process, Simon noticed a small machine insert at the base of the strangers head, right at the top of his neck. Simon rightfully figured this was a synaptic connection meant to infer information from a computer directly into the brain. Something the alliance had been doing in secret to its most gifted citizens, like River.

Episode 1, Chapter 2

Chapter 2 will begin with the stranger waking to find himself on Serenity. Disoriented and confused by events, he will be interrogated by Mal, who fears he may be some kind of alliance weapon. The stranger isn't like River, however. Though he will have been given extensive combat training, his primary education has been politics. What the crew finds out through their new passenger will frighten some, while reviving old ideals in others.


	2. Episode 1: Chapter 2

Episode 1, Chapter 2

Jacob Warren woke to find himself surrounded by strangers. His eyes hurt and he was having trouble focusing, everything being more blurry then he was accustomed too. His body still felt sluggish and even a little damp while he shivered on the operating table. He heard the voice of some unknown to him, "Kaylee, get 'em another blanket will ya."

"Sure Cap'n." Kaylee responded.

After a brief pause, Kaylee put another blanket on Jacob and smiled, though her face was too hazy for him to notice. He wanted to grab the blankets, but he couldn't get his muscles to move right. Simon noticed his attempted movement and felt his typical obligation to explain everything that was going on.

"It's alright, you will be able to move again in a few hours. You need to rest now, the Milaphtine hasn't had a chance to fully circulate yet."

Several more hours passed before Jacob woke again. Though his eyes still hurt, they weren't as blurry and he could move, though movement did cause pain. When he opened his eyes, Simon was standing over him, apparently in a debate with Mal. "I understand where you're commin from doc, but fact is, I don't much care at the moment. I need to know..."

"Captain, my patient isn't going anywhere. But he does need time to adjust. We don't know how long he has been in that cryogenic pod!" Simon finished by cutting Mal off.

"March Doctor. I've been frozen since March." Jacob said feebly.

Simon looked down at his patient, realizing he was coherent and awake enough to respond. "March? Of what year?" Simon said with a hint of confusion.

"What do you mean what year? March of 2517 of course." Jacob responded with a little too much arrogance.

Mal looked at Simon, both having a very troubling stare on their faces. Simon's concern was that few humans were able to make full recoveries after more than six months in a Cryogenic Freeze. Mal's concern was based on the information Simon gave him regarding the cerebral implant he had removed from Jacobs neck. Mal however, forced himself to return to a more dire state in order to focus himself on his questions. "Well son, then you've been on ice there goin on two years now. I'd say you got lots of catchin up to do."

"What! Two Gorram years? I was only supposed to be out for a few weeks! just long enough for transport!"

"Transport to where exactly." Mal asked, smiling mischievously.

"Wait a sec here! Where the hell am I and who the hell are you?" Jacob demanded of Mal.

"Well now, you certainly seem well enough to me now. This here's Serenity, my ship. My name is Malcolm Reynolds and from now one mister, you'll be answering my questions instead of askin em."

Simon took a few steps back, realizing that no amount of argument would appease Mal. He gave Jacob a shot to dull the muscle pain he was obviously still in, then walked leisurely out of medical. Mal smiled ironically at Simon as he left, then turned his gaze back to Jacob. Once Simon was gone, Mal pulled out a satchel from behind him.

"I found this in a small stow away compartment in your little coffin. There were some books and the like in there also, but I figured all this platinum would wind up missing if I left it there for Jayne. The books you don't likely gotta worry about."

Jacob took the satchel, "Thanks. Listen, I assume since this is your ship, as you said, then you are the captain. I don't know why I am here, but I know this isn't where I was supposed to be."

"Oh, I figured as much. Fact is, you should be in about a million pieces right now. But since you ain't, you're gonna be needin to answer some very simple questions. Like who the hell are you and why were you on a ship that the alliance decided they needed to blow all to hell."

"Well, I can at least answer the first question. My name is Jacob Warren. I was born on Osiris. As for the ship you are referring too, I honestly haven't a clue about. Last I knew, I was being frozen on Ariel awaiting transport away from the Inner planets. I doubt the ship you got me from was the original transport ship."

"Alright Jake, how about you tell me why the alliance doesn't like you then?"

"Let me ask you something first, Captain. What are your feelings on the alliance?" Jacob asked interrogatively.

"Well son, my feelings ain't what were discussin right now. But it you really must know, I'm not exactly what you might call, a fan."

"Well, as a "not a fan" of the alliance, you might appreciate the fact that I am the last surviving member of Lord Richard Warren's family; his son, point in fact." Jacob sat, waiting for the revelation to hit Mal.

"Is that supposed to mean somethin to me exactly? Or is that just supposed to explain why you got so much platinum with you?"

"Well, I guess you don't know much about the politics of the unification war. My father, Lord Warren didn't support Unification. He felt the Alliance just didn't have the effective power to govern so large a space. So, for his efforts, he was placed in prison. After the war, he was let go only to be murdered by alliance assassins two years later, along with my mother, my sister and two older brothers. I was still in the Osiris Military and Political training academy at the time. I guess the alliance felt they could teach me to be a good little citizen after murdering my family. The fact that they decided I needed to go after I petitioned to have my father's title passed on to me certainly taught me why my father felt the need to go against them."

"Boy, the Alliance sure does like to eat its own doesn't it." Mal stated plainly.

"You sound like a man who has had some experience with the Alliance?" Jacob stated with a questioning tone.

"Well sure, who hasn't these days. Anyway, that only answers part of my question. Why don't you tell me why you had a military grade training implant surgically attached to the back of your neck?"

"I paid good money to have that implanted. It was designed by a Doctor who worked under my father. You see, my father was originally the Parliaments Minister of War. A good warrior actually, but a better politician. The implant is exactly what you said it is; a training device. It's programmed with any kind of information you want, then you can use it in deep cryo as a means to keep your mind semi active. You hear a voice in your head, talking to you like a professor. It also releases a small amount of Milaphtine, to help keep muscle tissue from degrading while in stasis. Considering how much my body hurts right now, I would guess the Milaphtine ran out several months ago. I just wish I knew why I had been cryo'ed like that for so long."

Feeling a little more secure in the lack of bad intentions of his new passenger, Mal let the remainder of his interrogation go. Fact was, previous events on Miranda had left the entire surviving crew in a state of wonder about their place in the Alliance. Mal had no way of knowing whether or not the Alliance leadership was after him, still wanted Simon and River, or wanted to whole crew in retaliation for their actions. As such, Serenity hadn't really been to any world with solid Alliance foundations. Work had therefore been non-existent and the fund acquired during the heist, which had nearly been foiled by Reavers, were already depleting fact. If nothing else, Jacob could at least be another paying passenger for the moment, and the best thing was, he was an aimless passenger with no knowledge of any set destination.

After the conversation with Jacob was over, Mal directed him to galley where he usually summoned the crew for meetings. He wanted to formally introduce the crew to their new passenger and give them the chance to ask any relevant questions he may have missed. Inara, especially, seemed very good at asking the questions that Mal would sometimes look over. More importantly to Mal, he wanted to get Rivers impression. Her ability to read people still remained very strong and Jacobs conscious mind would be a far better read then what ever he could have been dreaming about in cyro-stasis; so he figured.

The crew took warmly to Jacob, -Jayne being the exception, as always- and even Inara seemed to regard the young man as a potentially pleasant addition. Mal had, however, made it clear that Jacob was a paying passenger and not a crew member. Everyone took that to understand that any business dealings Serenity may have or could have had in the past were not to be discussed in Jacobs presence. Mal asked Zoe to escort Jacob to his quarters and give him the briefest rundown on ship protocols. Mal joined River on the bridge to talk with her about what she felt.

"I don't feel any ill intentions Captain. He is very confused as to why he is here, how he got her, everything. He isn't like me though. Everything he went through, training, education, even escape; it was all part of his plan, it was all voluntary. "

"I see. So we shouldn't have anything to worry about with him? No Television Encoding that's gonna make him go all warrior crazed on us?" Mal said, inferring to Rivers education.

"No, nothing like that. He's trained, all Alliance Military schools train. So he will have parts to play in our future. But there is something the surrounds him... like a shadow. I can't see through it. It's like there are several futures on him. I've only ever felt this one time before, that was before Simon rescued me. Something about my brother being able to make the choice so clearly, it blocks my sight. Either way, we are now a part of his future." River explained in her usual excessive detail.

Mal didn't think it prudent to cut River off this time. Though it bothered him that she wasn't able to completely alleviate his doubts, he understood that she was doing everything she could without risking excessive pain. Beyond that, Mal had begun to find himself wrought with doubts on a very personal level. The operative that had tracked Serenity to get to Simon and River had literally murdered every friend he had who had any planet-born residence. Serenity was literally only safe in space. Simply, Mal felt conflicted about whether or not he really wanted a new ally on any level, especially one who the alliance wanted dead. He had lost to much and too many people to want that kind of pain and responsibility again. On the other hand, a new face with some obvious connection could possibly find a way to shed light on what the official status of Serenity and the Tam's were.

Jacob stepped down into his quarters to find all his personal belonging sitting on the little table to his left. The room had been well cleaned by comparison to the rest of the ship, giving him the impression that Serenity was somewhat used to taking on passengers as well as cargo. He imagined his quarters were probably somewhat larger than the crew quarters. To his surprise, he found a bible on the desk along with his personal belongings. Several of the pages had been torn out, but an attempt had been made to re-attach the pages, in vain. The pages weren't what surprised him, rather he didn't get the impression that anyone on the crew leaned towards any kind of Christianity. There was possibly Kaylee, but even she seemed more pre-occupied with the real and living, not the mystery and faithful non-existence. After examining the book a little more closely, he decided not to offend anyone and simply put the book into the bottom desk drawer, likely to forget it later on. Feeling excessively tired, Jacob lay down for a moment and fell asleep.

To his amazement, Jacob woke to find River staring at him from his desk chair. He looked at her a bit whimsically, doing his best not to show shock. He had been trained for much of his life with regards to military baring. Somehow River had managed to open the hatch style door, climb down the shoot and set herself quietly at his desk without making anything like enough noise to wake him. "You are surprised to see me here." River said

"Um, yes. Yes I suppose so. Is everything alright? Does the Captain wish to ask me more questions?"

"No, not yet. He will though. He is still deciding if trusting you is a good idea. The captain will be asking you to do him a favor. I am just wondering if you will say yes to his request and if you can actually accomplish what he will ask of you."

"Oh. Well, I uh, I suppose if it's something I'm able to do. What does he need?"

"Friendship." River's head cocked slightly, as if talking more to herself now.

"Hu?"

"Oh, Sorry. I mean he needs friends. He has lost nearly everyone he has ever cared about. But from you, he will need to know if you can get information regarding this ship, Serenity, and if you can find out what the official status is on my brother Simon... and me."

"Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"No, but the captain is not aware of that yet. The captain has not figured out that he is feared for what he has accomplished. Feared for what else he might know, or have."

"Who are you?"

"River. The one that found you in the cold place, breathing where no others breathed. "

River gracefully stood, turned around and walked towards the steps leading up and outside. She exchanged no other words with him, no good bye. Nothing. Them as an afterthought, she shouted down into the room from the doorway, "Dinner will be ready soon. You should eat with us, the food is awful." Jacob stared in the last known direction of River Tam, completely perplexed as to what just occurred. It took him a moment to get his bearings before he could register that she has really only come to invite him to dinner with the crew.

Simon had taken to cooking with Kaylee on her cooking night. The food was going to be awful really, they had run out of fresh and canned foods over a month ago and were now eating protein rations with various accoutrement . Protein was protein however, and with that came a taste that would make even the saltiest sailors hard tack seem like a meal of kings.

River walked into the galley as Kaylee was pulling the last of the meal out of the ships oven, Jacob not far behind. River sat in her usual spot, which was always next to Simon. Jacob decided to sit across from Simon. Over a period of a few minutes, the remainder of the crew straggled in and sat down to eat. Almost immediately little conversations sprung up. Only Jayne remained quiet. Jacob was glad of the conversation. He wasn't very confident in what to say after his impromptu conversation with River. Naturally Kaylee seemed to be the most interested in Jacobs history, Inara interjecting every now and then with funny quips.

Near the end of the meal, Jacob finally decided to speak upon his own volition, rather than waiting for questions. "Simon, I'm curious about where you and River came from. I recall there being a Tam family on Osiris, is there a relation?"

Simon looked cautiously at Jacob.

"They from Osiris too. Daddy was some kind of Judge there. isn't that right Doc?" Jayne interjected, his usual venom present.

"Oh... really? So you Judge Tam's children? That's really interesting. What the heck are you doing out here like this then?"

"We... we are out here trying to get..." Simon stuttering a bit before being cut off.

"Runnin is what they're doin. Seems after a year out here, the alliance still wants em gone!"

"Thats enough Jayne!" Mal admonished.

"Well its true ain't it? I mean, thats why we haven't seen no towns or been able to pick up any real food!"

"Jayne, I said enough! Leave this table... Now!"

Jayne stood violently, then stormed out to his quarters. Simon stared at Kaylee while River looked at Mal. Inara could only put her head down. She had asked the Captain to get her in close enough to a civilized world so she could use her connections and rented shuttle to bring in some supplies, but Mal had consistently denied her. He cited the danger it would put her in, doing his best not to incite any sense of his affection for her.

"Captain, it seems to me that regardless of the reason, Jayne is probably right. At least, about needing supplies." Jacob said, calmly.

"Well, he is right, we need supply and we certainly need fuel. Scavenging out this far isn't getting us far with fuel. But we need to get some work and some friends. Right now, we ain't got nothin of value to anyone."

"I might be able to help Captain. I may not be loved by the alliance, but I do still have friends. I can try to connect with some of them. Maybe solve two problems at once. Arrange for some supplies and find out why I was never transported and taken out of cryo." Jacob looked a Mal.

"Well, we'll have to get in somewhere semi close to send off a good signal. I think Persephone would be the closest to us right now. You know anyone there by chance?"

"Sure do. A buddy of mine from the academy, his family lives on Persephone."

All at once, the crew seemed to be a little more lively. Simon felt confident that Jacob had lost his interest in the subject of his and Rivers presence on Serenity. Mal was hopeful that they could get some supplies, and if they could, Inara might even be able to get a client lined up. Kaylee was just excited at the possibility of being able to trade some of the machinery she managed to scavenge and fix up from the ships Serenity had been plundering. A few more minutes past and the galley was empty except for Mal and Jacob.

"Listen Jake, I appreciate what you're doing here and all, but I don't want no funny business. If I think you're puttin my crew in danger, I'll put ya down."

"I would expect nothing less captain. I promise you, I mean no ill will to you and yours. I simply don't relish the idea of eating protein meals every day. And truly, I need to find out what the hell happened to me."

"Well alright then. If you can, see if your people can find out about Serenity... and maybe River and Doc as well. It would at least be good to know what we're facin out here."

"I'll see what I can scrounge up. I'm sure I can get something for you."

Episode 1, Chapter 3

_In this chapter, Jacob gets in touch with Peter Johansson; a close friend from the Academy. Raymond Johansson, Peters father is an administer on Persephone with access to judicial files. Unknown to the crew, Jacob orders records on everyone on board, going far deeper than just finding warrants. His mistrust of the crew gets the better of him as he finds the list of crimes Serenity is suspected of being involved in. _


End file.
